Royal fans warned to stay away from Zara’s wedding

The Queen’s eldest grandaughter is due to get married at the Canongate Kirk on July 30

ROYAL fans have been warned by police to keep away from the wedding of Zara Phillips in Scotland later this month.

Police have said that there will be

“minimal opportunity’ to see the bride and her husband-to-be, Mike Tindall, and that the event is a

“private, family occasion.”

Edinburgh council has echoed the warning and urged well-wishers to

“respect the couple’s wishes’ that the event should be a family occasion.

The ceremony on July 30 is expected to be attended by members of the Royal family including the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as well as a host of celebrities and sports stars.

But police say the

“very narrow thoroughfare’ of the Royal Mile means there will be

“limited capacity’ for star-spotting.

Hundreds of people are expected to turn out to watch Zara marry her rugby star boyfriend at the city’s Canongate Kirk.

Roads will also be closed in the surrounding areas but details have not yet been released.

There will be no public viewing areas of large screen televisions to broadcast the ceremony and it has been revealed that the Kirk will close for a week before the wedding to allow for preparations to take place.

Graeme Bell, spokesman for the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said he was not concerned that crowds would heed the warning and stay away, thus depriving the city of a tourism boost.

He said:

“People planning on coming along are not exactly expecting to be invited round for tea.

“As Ms Middleton’s wedding showed, the royal family are increasingly aware of the public relations benefits of these events. I’m sure the couple will make attempts to engage with those who turn out to see the happy occasion. “

Zara, the 29-year-old daughter of Princess Anne does not have a royal title, meaning her wedding will be treated as a private event.

A police spokesman said:

“Lothian and Borders Police would like to remind members of the public that the wedding is a private, family occasion.

“The Royal Mile is a very narrow thoroughfare with limited capacity, restricted access and will afford minimal opportunity for well-wishers. “

A city council spokeswoman said: “We ask members of the public to respect the couple’s wishes that this should be a private, family occasion.”

Residents overlooking the wedding venue have been offered substantial sums of money by film crews from across the world wanting to secure the best vantage points.